"Ah, Amamiya-san. Good afternoon."

Ren smiled at the jeweler. "Good afternoon. I received the email that my order is done."

The man chuckled before nodding. "That's correct. And it's a work of art, if I do say so myself."

He then turned around, retrieving Ren's order. The jeweler then faced Ren again, sliding a black velvet box across the counter.

Ren picked it up, his fingers slightly trembling as he cracked it open. Nestled inside was a gold ring, with a ruby in the center. On both sides of the ruby setting, there were roses carved into the gold band. Tiny diamonds winked at him, studded in the band.

When he had commissioned Yusuke to help him with an engagement ring design, he had never expected for Yusuke to come up with such a beautiful ring.

It was perfect.

Ren knew that some people might say that he was too young to think about marriage, but his heart was set. He had known he wanted to marry Anne for ages.

They had been together for nearly five years now. They had weathered crazy conspiracies, fighting Shadows, and a long-distance relationship.

Ren felt ready. Now he just had to figure out how to exactly pop the question.

Then he looked at the jeweler. "It's perfect. Thank you so much."

The jeweler just laughed, accepting Ren's credit card. "Just my job. I will admit that it was an honor to bring your beautiful design to life."

Ren smiled, staring at the ring. "Thanks. I got a friend to help me out with it."

The jeweler just hummed in response before handing Ren his credit card. He then winked.

"Just be sure to propose to your young lady soon."

Ren laughed. "Don't worry, that's the plan!"

He slipped the velvet box into his jacket pocket, before bidding the jeweler farewell. He hadn't barely taken ten steps away from the jewelry store when his phone suddenly buzzed.

Ren fished it out of his other pocket. After he unlocked it, he saw that it was Ryuji texting him.

[Ryuji]: Hey, RenRen! Don't forget that we're meeting up tonight!

[Ren]: We only do this monthly Ryuji :P

[Ren]: Of course I remember… unlike a certain someone

[Ryuji]: Aw shuddup!

[Ren]: You started it

Then his phone went off again, this time with the app he used to text Anne when she was overseas.

[Anne]: Hi Ren! Good morning!

[Ren]: Hey, superstar! How's Paris?

[Anne]: Ohmigosh it's so beautiful! It just sucks that I'm working and my bf is like a continent away :(

[Ren]: Maybe we should make a trip out of it

[Anne]: REALLY? That would be amazing!

[Anne]: But hey, don't forget that we have that Hawaii trip planned!

[Ren]: I really can't wait to be there, just the two of us ;)

[Anne]: Heehee, we've only talked about doing this for 4 years!

[Ren]: But worth the wait, my lady

[Anne]: What have you been up to btw?

[Ren]: Nothing much, but I'm meeting up with the guys tonight for our monthly hangout

[Anne]: Oh! Have fun Ren!

[Anne]: Miss you though, can't wait to see you again

[Ren]: I miss you too, even though I know you're out there chasing your dream.

[Anne]: Awww. Your support really means the world to me!

[Anne]: Oh crap manager is texting me about a meeting. Gtg!

[Ren]: Go get 'em, tiger!

[Anne]: Thanks xoxoxo

Ren smiled, thinking about his girlfriend. They may be older now, but Anne never lost that spark that made her so Anne. Bubbly and bright, she was really his ray of sunshine.

He may be still attending university—he'd be finishing his third year of university come March—but he wasn't super interested in waiting much longer before proposing to Anne. Besides that, weddings took ages to plan judging from the side comments Ken had made about the planning process for Shinjiro-san and Fuuka-san's wedding. They might not even get married for a good year.

He still wasn't sure how he'd propose to Anne exactly but… he'd figure it out.

"Marvelous! Just beautiful!"

Ren grinned at Yusuke. "Thanks again for helping me with the design."

"RenRen, you're really gonna pop the question?" Ryuji asked.

"We've been dating for over four years," Ren pointed out. "We've been living together for two years now."

Well, when Anne was in Tokyo at least. With her career really starting to take off, Anne was jetting off halfway across the world sometimes.

"That's just nuts to me," Ryuji confessed. "I mean, I know that me and Shiho haven't been dating for nearly as long as you and Anne but even thinking about getting married is crazy to me."

Ren tapped his chin, pretending to look deep in thought. "So you don't want to be best man?"

"Hell no!" Ryuji cried before thumping his fist against the table. "I'm your best friend so I'm gonna be the best man dammit!"

"What about me?" Morgana protested.

"You'll be the ring bearer, duh."

Ren couldn't help but snicker. Morgana was physically sixteen right now, so he was a little old to be a ring bearer.

"Stop picking on Morgana, Ryuji," Ken said dryly before taking a sip of his drink.

Ren just smirked. Well, he could always pick on Ken.

He then leaned towards Ken. "Soooo… when are you going to propose to Makoto? You two have been together for nearly as long as Anne and me."

Ken proceeded to choke on his drink.

Maybe he should've asked that when Ken wasn't drinking something.

Ryuji hastily reached out, whacking Ken on the back.

"Ren, that was uncalled for," Morgana scolded as Ken recovered from his coughing fit.

Ren just laughed nervously. "Oops."

Ken glowered at him in response. "You did that on purpose."

"Not the timing," Ren said defensively.

"Sure, Ren," Ken grumbled, rolling his eyes.

He then set his drink down.

"Jeez, you make a guy choke and turn him off from drinking," Ren lamented.

Ken just huffed in response. "The night is still young, I could always walk out right now and spend the night with Makoto."

"Aw, don't be such a sourpuss, Ken," Ryuji laughed before poking him in the ribs. "RenRen will prolly be still picking on ya even when we're all old and gray."

Ken deadpanned. "Perish the thought. And besides, Ren and Anne aren't that young. Akihiko and Minako got engaged when Minako was twenty-two, and Ren isn't that far off from his birthday."

Yusuke rested a hand against his chin. "I should start on your wedding gift as soon as possible! Yes… it shall be my magnum opus!"

Ren held up his hands. "Whoa, jumping the gun a little, aren't you, Yusuke? Anne hasn't even said yes."

"Ryuji was the one who started it with the best man talk," Ken said before glancing towards Ryuji. "Also Ryuji—don't forget that the best man is pretty involved in the wedding planning."

Ryuji blanched at that. Ren couldn't help but laugh. Ryuji would probably get it in stereo too, since it was guaranteed that Anne would choose Shiho as her maid of honor.

"Aww, is the big bad Ryuji Sakamoto afraid of a little wedding planning?" Ren teased.

"Shuddup!" Ryuji retorted.

Morgana snickered before cracking a grin.

"What a great comeback, Ryuji."

"Shut it, cat!"

"I haven't been a cat in years!"

Ren just laughed. Sometimes he missed the days back in high school, when he got to see his friends every day. But this was nice too.

They spent a few hours, just hanging out. It was almost like their hangouts during high school. It was nice, especially since they weren't able to see each other as much as they did when they were teenagers.

But as they parted ways at the parking lot, Ren reached out and grabbed Morgana by the sleeve.

"Hey, Morgana, wait," Ren said hastily.

Morgana blinked in confusion. "What's the matter, Ren?"

Ren picked up the velvet box, and Morgana took a step backwards.

"I'm not Lady Anne." Morgana then looked at him suspiciously. "And I won't be your practice dummy!"

"Jeez, chill, Morgana," Ren laughed. "I just… I wanted you to keep the ring for me. You know how chaotic Anne can be. I'm a little worried that Anne will accidentally dig it out and ruin the surprise."

Morgana's expression turned shocked. "You want me to hold the ring? What about Ryuji?"

Ren grinned. "Come on, Morgana. I know that Ryuji is my best friend and all, but you're my partner."

That, and he trusted that Morgana wouldn't shoot off his mouth. He loved Ryuji to bits and pieces but Ryuji really had no filter.

Morgana's eyes seemed to glimmer in the faint light. Then he rubbed at his eyes.

"My eyesight hasn't been the best lately…" Morgana mumbled out.

Then he looked down at the velvet box in Ren's hand.

"But Ren… I'd be honored to do this for you."

Ren smiled. Just this once… he'd let it go.

"Thanks, Morgana."

Morgana took the box and pocketed it. Then he looked up at Ren.

"But Ren… you'll make Lady Anne happy, won't you?"

Ren closed his eyes as Anne's smiling face floated to his mind. After his release from jail, he had sworn to himself that he'd do his best to make her as happy as possible. It had been like a stab to the heart to distress her so much.

"Always," Ren whispered.

Morgana studied him closely. Then he smiled in satisfaction.

"Good."

"Ren!"

Ren gasped as Anne knocked the breath out of him as she tackle-hugged him. Ren then grinned at her before twirling her around once. This earned them a few sideway glances, but Ren didn't care.

"I've missed you, beautiful," Ren said, before setting her on her feet.

Anne beamed at him, her smile as bright as the sun. "I've missed you too!"

Ren then took her hand, intertwining their fingers together before tugging her towards the baggage claim.

"So how much luggage this time we're looking at?" Ren teased. "Four? Five?"

Anne gave him a playful swat. "Shut up, Ren! I don't even go on crazy shopping sprees!"

"But with everyone's souvenirs…" Ren trailed off.

When Anne traveled internationally, she tried to track down gifts for everyone in their group, including Sojiro. She always waved off their friends' protests that they didn't need the gifts.

Anne rolled her eyes at him. "It filled like, half of one luggage. I managed to fit everything in two!"

Ren grinned at her in response. "Impressive, my lady."

Anne narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't act like it's a huge shock."

Ren shot her a playful smirk. She was just too fun to tease. But he quickly changed the subject, asking her about Paris.

Anne's eyes lit up. "Ohmigosh, Ren… it's so beautiful! I wish I could've gotten to explore the city more! Especially at night! The lights shining on the Seine River… it's just so stunning! And the food! There were so many bakeries that made delicious pastries!"

"Leave it to you to have such a huge impression on food," Ren teased.

Anne stuck her tongue out at him before snagging one of the luggage off the conveyor belt. It was a candy apple bright red, with a little cat charm hanging off the zipper. Ren had given it to her as a gift a couple years ago, as a little inside joke.

She proclaimed, "Food is the meaning of life! And don't tease me—you have your coffee addiction, Mister."

"When are you gonna sign me up for Coffee Addict Anonymous like you've been threatening to do for the past few years?" Ren asked, raising an eyebrow.

Anne just stuck her tongue out at him.

"When you sign me up for Sugar Addict Anonymous, I suppose," she shot back.

Ren just grinned. "Touché."

Anne caught sight of her other luggage and grabbed it. They then headed for the car. Anne chatted to him about her trip the entire car ride home. Ren couldn't help but feel happy that Anne was back home. He 100% supported her in her ambitions, but he always missed her like hell when she was gone.

"Anyways, enough about me," Anne said before looking to Ren. "What have you been up to while I've been gone? No trouble, I hope?"

Ren couldn't help but think of the ring that was currently in Morgana's apartment. He'd have to swing by Morgana's place soon to get the ring. He pulled to a stop as the traffic light flashed red. He turned to smile at Anne.

"Nothing big. I'm looking forward to our trip, though."

Anne beamed at him before leaning in to plant a kiss on his cheek. "I am too! It'll just be you and me enjoying a week alone in Hawaii!"

Ren had to hide a smile from his girlfriend. That was exactly what he was banking on.

Ren jerked forward as the plane landed roughly on the runway. Ren couldn't help but grimace. He didn't think he'd ever get used to that sensation.

Somehow Anne was still out cold. Ren hardly registered the pilot's warning to not unbuckle their seatbelts until the plane had come to a complete stop. Instead, his focus was on his girlfriend.

"Anne. Hey. Heyyyy, wake up."

Ren gently shook her shoulder.

Anne's face scrunched up, but she turned away from him. Ren shook his head, even as a fond smile tugged at his lips.

"Come on, Anne, I know you're awake," Ren said in a coaxing voice.

He then leaned in, peppering light butterfly kisses against her cheek and her jawline, before finally pressing a gentle kiss against her lips.

Anne slowly blinked her eyes open, a grumpy frown on her face.

"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty," Ren said with a grin.

Anne groaned. "I'm so tired."

"There is a thing as too much sleep," Ren quipped.

Anne huffed. "You should be telling that to Futaba, not me."

"Come on, Anne, don't be so grumpy. We're in Hawaii now."

Anne's eyes lit up. It was like he had flipped a switch.

"Oh, that's right! Oh my gosh, we're back to Hawaii!"

Ren just chuckled before leaning in to kiss the tip of her nose. "You can be so silly sometimes."

Anne stuck her tongue at him in response before giving him a wink.

"And you love me anyways."

Ren chuckled before unbuckling himself. "That I do. We should recharge at the hotel for a couple hours and then let's take a walk around."

Anne nodded. "That sounds great! Oooh, but what should we do tomorrow? There's so much to do! Like we could go to a luau or go snorkeling or even go swimming with dolphins!"

"We'll look into it," Ren promised. "The sky's the limit after all."

Anne giggled. "It took us a few years, but I can't believe that we're here!"

Anne crashed shortly after dinner, but Ren felt too wired to feel tired. He stood at the balcony of their hotel suite, gazing out at the darkened horizon.

His eyes drifted to the ring resting in the palm of his hand. A plan was starting to formulate in his mind. He wanted to make a memorable proposal.

They were staying on Maui. But they had plans to visit other islands, like Kauai and Oahu. They decided on Maui since several websites mentioned there was a lot to do, and they had the best resorts.

They'd then fly to Kauai for a couple days, before finishing their trip at Oahu, the island where they had stayed on as students.

Ren couldn't help but smile, thinking of their beach date. With his promise to help Makoto, they had to wait a little bit to openly date. So that had been their first proper date.

It'd be nice to take Anne on a walk around the beach and proposing to her there.

Yes… that would be perfect. Ren knew that he had to play it cool though, because he didn't want Anne to catch onto his plans.

Satisfied, Ren ducked back into the suite to tuck away the ring back in his luggage. But then he caught sight of Anne. The moonlight practically made her skin glow. With her golden hair fanned out on her pillow, she looked like an angel.

Ren stepped close to her before dropping a kiss against her forehead.

Sometimes he didn't know how he had lucked out. Anne had chosen him. She was gorgeous, kind and loving.

And she was his.

Ren sat down on the edge of the bed before lifting her right hand—gently, though, so not to rouse her. Ren ran his thumb along the back of her hand before he looked at her ring finger. For a moment, he entertained sliding the ring on her hand, just to see if it fit her.

Ren shook his head. He was just being impatient. He didn't want to risk waking up Anne, especially since she was exhausted from the jetlag.

So, he set Anne's hand down on the bed before standing up to retrieve the ring box. He snapped it shut before tucking it back in his luggage. He then crawled into bed.

He drew Anne into his arms. Anne sighed softly before resting her head against his shoulder. Ren pressed his lips against her forehead before settling down in bed. Slowly, Anne's soft breathing lulled him to sleep.

Only for him to be violently shook awake.

"Ren! Rennnn!" Anne exclaimed before tugging at his hand. "Come on, get up!"

Ren squinted at her before letting out a yawn. "Anne? What time is it?"

He then blinked a few times. Sunlight was barely trickling in their room.

"Are you seriously up this early?" Ren asked.

Anne huffed. "Come on, Ren! You gotta see this! The sunrise is soooo beautiful!"

Ren let her drag him out of bed, and she pulled him towards the balcony. She then let go of him, leaning over the railing to point at the horizon.

"See?! Isn't it gorgeous?!"

Ren had to admit that it was a beautiful sight. The sky was filled with fluffy white clouds, but the sun was peeking out. Its rays extended to the ocean, making it sparkle beautifully.

Anne sighed happily. "It's so beautiful!"

Ren gave her a tired smile. "But can it compare to you?"

Anne turned, frowning. "Why are you so tired? Usually our places are swapped. I'm the sleepyhead and you're the one up insanely early!"

Ren chuckled. "I couldn't sleep for a few more hours. So I got a little less sleep than I would've liked. But don't worry—I'll squeeze in a couple more hours of sleep and then we can have some fun."

"Oh but…" Anne trailed off with a frown.

"But…?" Ren prompted.

Anne flushed. "It's just—I actually got something special in Paris."

Ren looked at Anne up and down. It took Ren a moment to realize that Anne had changed into a pale pink silk robe that had barely skimmed her thighs. It was a good thing that Hawaii was much warmer than Tokyo right now. Anne wouldn't be able to get away with this state of dress in Tokyo during this time of year.

"Do I get to unwrap it?" Ren asked.

Anne looked at him, raising a brow at him. "I thought you wanted to sleep more."

Ren grinned. "Do I?"

Anne giggled before giving the sash of her robe a little tug. It slipped enough just to give Ren a little sneak peek.

Ren couldn't help but gape.

"Where did you get that?"

Anne giggled before readjusting her robe to cover herself up again. "I know that we've been busy between my job and university so I wanted to get something nice. After all… this trip is all about us."

Then she pushed herself off the railing before giving him a sultry smile.

"Come to bed, and I'll let you unwrap your present."

Anne squealed with laughter as Ren lunged at her. She ducked away before running back into the room. Ren tackled her by the waist, leaving them both sprawling on the bed.

"Impatient, are we?" Anne teased.

"Only when you tease me," Ren retorted.

He pushed the robe down her shoulders before leaning down to press his lips where her neck met her shoulder.

Anne shuddered against him before rolling him so that she was on top of him.

"Ah, ah! There's no rush. We have all the time, Ren."

Ren grinned up at her.

"Why don't you show me, then?"

The week went by all too fast, and before Ren knew it, they were headed for Oahu.

Anne happily accepted Ren's suggestion to just spend their first full day at Waikiki Beach. Anne looked just stunning in the red bikini top and the sarong skirt.

They spent most of the day just enjoying the beach, swimming in the ocean, exploring the tide pools, and enjoying the warm Hawaii sunshine.

Ren's plan was to propose to Anne at sunset. He couldn't help but think of them making the promise to come back here as they gazed out at the beautiful sunset.

Ren had changed out of his swimsuit before slipping the ring box out of the duffel bag he had brought with him. He stuffed it in his pocket before stepping outside to rejoin Anne.

Anne took his hand as they slowly walked down the beach.

Anne sighed happily. "I'm so glad that we made that promise, Ren. I know that we are getting busier but…"

Ren smiled before brushing a stray strand out of her face.

"We both have our dreams, but we have each other to come home to. Though—I'm guessing it's nice that you get to travel for pleasure instead of work for once, huh?"

Anne giggled before nodding in agreement. "Don't get me wrong, I love traveling! But it's always a hustle, y'know? It's definitely worth it though! I feel that my work has been paying off."

Ren let go of her hand, in favor of wrapping an arm around her waist and giving her a one-armed hug. He then gave her a fond smile.

"I'm so proud of you. I don't know if I've told you lately but I can see the way you inspire people."

He still remembered how Anne had called him her light, so many years ago. But now Anne had become a ray of hope herself for so many people.

"Thank you, Ren. I didn't know what I would do without you. You helped me figure this out, and I can't thank you enough for that." Anne smiled.

Sometimes he felt that his friends exaggerated how much help he was. He just gave people the nudge they needed.

"I didn't do all that much."

"Uh-uh!" Anne waggled a finger at him. "You've done plenty for me! You were the first person aside from Shiho that I felt I could open up to, you know."

Ren smiled before lifting one of her hands and kissing it lightly.

"I can say the same to you. I don't know how I would've survived all of the crap without you by my side," Ren said.

"Any time, Ren," Anne whispered, looking up at him.

Love shone in her eyes, which still captivated him to this very day. It had been the very first thing he had noticed about her.

"I'll always be your side."

Ren took in a shaky breath. His heart was starting to pound hard against his chest, as his hands grew sweaty.

"Do you promise?" he asked, fighting to keep his voice even.

Anne blinked. "Well… if you really want me to."

"Good."

Ren managed a smile before his tongue darted out and wetted his lips. His mouth had suddenly become dry, drier than a desert.

"Because I want to make a promise of my own."

He then drew his hand away from Anne. He then fell to one knee. Anne gasped, her eyes growing wide.

"Ren…?" she whispered.

Ren stuck his hand in his pocket, drawing out the ring box. He looked up to her with a smile. Anne could only just clasp a hand over her mouth.

"Anne Takamaki, I promise to always, always love you. You've had my heart longer than you realized. We've been through so much, and I want nothing more to face life with you by my side."

He then flipped the box open. The ruby glimmered and sparkled under the sun's rays.

"So will you do me the great honor of becoming my wife? Will you marry me?"

Anne slowly lowered her hand from her mouth. Ren couldn't help but feel a little anxious. Did she think they were too young? Was he rushing things?

Then she fell to her knees, throwing her arms around him.

"Yes!" she cried out. "Yes, I'll marry you! Oh my god, Ren—I… I didn't expect this from you at all!"

Ren let out a shaky laugh. "That's the point of a proposal, isn't it? The lady isn't supposed to know."

Anne just giggled, before resting her chin on his shoulder. "That's true."

Ren then removed the ring from the box before sliding it on Anne's finger. Anne looked at it in awe.

"This ring is incredible!"

Ren slipped his arms around her before dropping a kiss against her forehead. "I'm glad that you like it. Yusuke actually helped me design it."

Anne's eyes widened. "Yusuke designed this?!"

Ren smiled. "He did. And I quote, 'it would be my greatest honor to breathe life to the piece of jewelry that will bond my two dear friends forever'."

Anne giggled. "That sounds just like Yusuke!"

Then her eyes softened before she stroked the band.

"Forever…" she repeated.

Ren smiled. "You're stuck with me now, my lady. Because I'm sure as hell not letting you now."

Anne smiled before looping her arms around his neck. "I don't want you to. I promise that I'll love you, forever and always."

She then sealed that promise with a kiss.

Happy Shuann Week! I wrote their wedding for 2019's run, so that left the proposal to write! As I wrote the wedding in the Ace in the Hole verse, I thought I might as well write the prequel! Hope you guys liked it!

I'd also like to extend a big thank to my beta, angelrin89, for editing this.

And Shuann fans—I hope you enjoy the rest of Shuann Week!